New member needs your opinion

Hello Mattress Underground,

I wish I found you weeks ago! You’re truly a great resource. Now that I’ve read all I could on your website in regard to my situation, I’d like to have your opinion.

I’m about to return a queen-sized Recore mattress to Goodmorning.com. Too hot for me. I’m a very hot sleeper. Also too firm. I like a mattress that’s more soft than firm.

I mainly sleep on my back, but also on my side. I have a strong built, 6 feet and 225 lbs, v-shaped with broad shoulders and smaller hips. I also have lower back pain from a still-fragile herniated disc.

I’m thinking of going for a 3-4 inch pure Talalay latex comfort layer (semi-firm around 25 ILD), with either a 7-8 inch pure Talalay latex (firm around 35 ILD) or a quality pocket coils support layer.

I’d like to know if it makes sense to you. Is it overkill? Thinner layers are easier to find, and more affordable. I’d like to keep it under $2000 CAD ($1500 USD) all included if possible.

I’m located in Montreal, Canada. The two best rated manufacturers in the Province are located 2 hours away. I trust their quality, and a road trip to test these options is feasable.

Not both though. They’re in opposite directions from home. I think Matelas Lapensee would be opened to tweak that mattress, and migth be negociable, but not Matelas Houde.

There’s also the following mattress very close to home, but I’m worried about the independent sections and the 2 inches of eucalyptus fiber. And there’s no try-out or return.

Also, this one’s very affordable, but I had a bad experience with a sofa there, and I can’t get answers from them. Not very reassuring for a comfort layer with coils.

I could also contact the following manufacturers for quotes. They’re closer to home than Houde and Labontee. But I’d be starting investigations from scratch.

Laurier Bedding
Provincial Bedding
Princess Mattress
Excellence mattress
Prestige mattress
Luxor mattress

I think if I could keep it between the Comfort Royal mattress from Matelas Labontee (in latex foam) and the Boreal Natural mattress from Futon d’Or, I’d be a very happy man.

I’d make a couple of calls and go test them if I like what I hear.

What do you guys think?

I look forward to your comments.

Thanks for reading me to the end!

  • PM

I wouldn’t expect a response. It seems this site has gone downhill in recent years. There are only a handful of “trusted member” companies they will recommend, and most of those companies have reps who watch the forum and chime in with sales spiels.

Congrats on actually getting to post your question though! I’ve tried dozens of times, but just keep getting a screen that only says “error”. I figure it’s because I mention mattress names, and they want you to post under long dead topics related to specific mattress names. But that doesn’t really solve the problem when you’re trying to ask for advice out of a decent sized list of options.

Reddit is a decent place to look for information. Sleep like the Dead has some information, but it appears that it’s pretty outdated now. It feels like we’re really just all on our own now. I get it. It’s too much information to process and keep up with, and mattress selection is like THE top topic on the internet these days. Still, it’s a shame that you get to a point where it’s impossible to make an informed decision between your top choices.

Thanks for taking the time to help me honestly. I’ll check what you mention right away. Thanks man.

I’ve been on here a a little while as a regular consumer just like you and I have to say I haven’t seen anything like the stuff mentioned above. The posting errors sound more like a browser problem because I can post any brand name I want and it never gave me any issue at all, same thing with posting comments about products good or bad. There’s very few moderators on here and they often give very detailed responses (with tons more questions arriving each day) so I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect immediate responses all the time since this isn’t anyone’s fulltime job (except maybe the mattress manufacturers). Yes, there are “trusted member” manufacturers on here but nobody is being pushed towards certain manufacturers to buy anything that I have seen. Many folks that find this site are in pain or serious discomfort while sleeping and confused/frustrated about how to solve their problem. Most manufacturers seem to be pretty quick to try and remedy any negative experiences because this is a public forum and word spreads fast about any situations with products or service either good or bad. Many of us actually started with Reddit and ended up over here because the knowledge base is much larger on here IMHO. I came on this site too for very much the same reason, to share info and solve my own mattress issues and in the process I’ve also tried to help others benefit from what I learned along the way. Anyway that’s just my $0.02

Hi pmperron.

I am so sorry for not getting to your questions sooner! As a rule, we never make a specific mattress recommendation to anyone from any brand (Trusted Member or otherwise) as purchasing a mattress is such a personal experience that requires careful testing, and conversations with the retailer or manufacturer themselves with regards to your body type, sleeping position(s), general preferences and history, some general information about mattresses you have tested and done well with, and any other specific information or circumstances that could affect your choice of a mattress.

We will occasionally recommend that a consumer check out a particular Trusted Member if we feel that consumer may benefit from a conversation with them and/or a product they offer; all of our Trusted Members are extremely knowledgeable and compete with the best in the industry. We think very highly of them as they were strenuously vetted and have to comply with a number of high quality and transparency standards to be Trusted Members on The Mattress Underground.

But beyond that, we always recommend that any consumer educate themselves as best as possible with the resources we make available to them, and then choose the mattress they feel is their best fit based on personal testing and the Mattress Durability Guidelines.

We also recommend that anyone just starting their search (or even in the middle of their search) review our Mattress Shopping Tutorial as well as these five steps to finding your perfect mattress.

Now that that is out of the way :slight_smile: I am sorry to hear you are sleeping hot on your current mattress, and that you are finding it to be too firm.

As a back sleeper, the “gaps” in your profile are not quite as deep as in side sleeping, a slightly thinner top layer will generally work a little better. In back sleeping, a slightly shallower cradle is needed. A good starting point for a back sleeper is 2" of softer material on top of your mattress and then increasing or decreasing from there depending on other factors like weight, preferences, or other sleeping positions.

You can read more about the comfort needs of the varying sleeping positions here.

I wouldn’t call the configuration you suggested “overkill” but you may actually benefit from thinner comfort layers, and it’s just luck that they are easier to find and more affordable. And, speaking very generally, it’s usually far easier to remedy a “too firm” mattress than it is to try and “firm up” a mattress that is too soft.

It is great that you have identified manufacturers you trust. I wish I was familiar with all of the ones you listed so I could give you an in-depth commentary, but unfortunately I’m not familiar with them. I can offer you this resource though, in case you’ve yet to review it, on identifying a [URL=https://mattressunderground.com/our-articles/finding-a-great-mattress-outletgreat mattress outlet[/URL].

I would - as previously mentioned - recommend speaking with the retailer you plan to visit about the options you are considering and offer them all the same information you offered here and see what kind of recommendations they make. If you feel they’re putting their bottom line above your health and comfort, consider it a red flag.

I hope this helps you moving forward. I am happy to answer any other questions you may have, or ping Phoenix or Sensei for you.
@mattrebuild, thanks for your kind words and @mark5280, if you’re still facing technical errors in your attempt to post, we’d be happy to troubleshoot those with you. Occasionally we find people posting from mobile devices face issues that others do not.

NikkiTMU

Thank you very much for answering.

I already read all that. Great stuff.

I just got an answer from Goodmorning.com regarding the Logan & Cove mattress, that I’m considering simply exchanging the Recore for.

Here’s the composition:

Wood-derivered fiber top cover
Silk blend pillow-top fill
¾" Cooling gel foam 1.8 lbs
½" Contouring bio foam 1.5 lbs
1" Cooling gel foam 2.5 lbs
1" Contouring bio foam 1.5 lbs
2" Supportive bio foam 1.5 lbs
Individual pocket coils 14.5/13.5/14.5 gauge
w/ engineered edge support foam

All sounds a bit low according to your standards. And maybe cheap? Especially conaidering it’ll amount up to around 60% of the price of a custom latex-on-pocket-coils alternative.

What do you think?

Thanks.

  • PM

The spring layer is a pretty standard zoned system used by many manufacturers but when you look at the rest of the mattress they are using low-md grade polyfoam (biofoam) and memory foam (gel foam) to make up the support and comfort layers. If you can have a talalay latex hybrid for just 40% more I would definitely go that route because I think you’ll find it will be alot more durable over the long run.

Thanks Matterbuild.

Would it make more sense as a short/mid term investment, if I’m to inherit another mattress eventually? Around 4-6 years? Or is there a risk that the overall comfort will be deteriorating earlier that that?

Thank you.

Thank you?

I think it depends alot on how the mattress will be used. Obviously the materials in this mattress are on the lower end (likely to keep the manufacturing costs low to hit a certain price point). So if this mattress is going in a guest bedroom then it’s likely going to be fine for that purpose but if this will be your main mattress for 4-6 years then really I think it would be a shot in the dark if the mattress would actually go the distance for you or not. I think if I were you the smarter way to look at it would be to look at it from a risk standpoint instead. You would need to ask yourself “Would I be upset if I had to throw this mattress out early and buy another one before I could get my hands on the other one that might come my way?”. If the answer is yes, then I would suggest looking elsewhere and maybe upgrading to a latex hybrid or full latex for durability reasons.

Very wise. I agree.

I just talked to a Montreal manufacturer and I have an apointment with him next Tuesday. It’s a long standing family business I’d be fully confident to have my mattress made there.

I also sent an email to another manufacturer who got the best customer reviews in an article from a trusted ressource here in Quebec (Protegez-vous magazine).

I will go with quality and peace of mind.

Thank you very much!!

Hi pmperron.

Yes, the foam in that mattress is on the low quality side in terms of durability. It looks like you’ve continued to have a great conversation with Mattrebuild and I’m glad you’ve been able to come to a decision on how to proceed.

Looking forward to any updates you may have for us after your appointment on Tuesday!

NikkiTMU

Hi there,

What did you end up getting?

I’m in similar situation. In Montreal, visited one manufacturer who tried to convince me to purchase the absolute most expensive option available. Not impressed and now back to square one.

I’d like to find a local manufacturer where I can choose different layers of latex so I can use the 3" latex topper I already have.

Hi,

I ended up w/ a custom-made mattress from family-owned Matelas Sélection. Service was incredible. The owner, Stéphane, is a gentleman. I tried different set-ups and ended up hoosing this one.

⅔" Tencel
2" Talalay latex (PCF 5.1, ILD 28)
1¼" Poly (PCF 2.5)
834 pocket coils (3 Zones, Caliber 13.5-14.5)

Now if I could do it again, I’d go for more latex. I was worried about support but I’d like more comfort.

Matelas Lapensée are also great if you’re looking for a reversible, double-sided option.

And if you’re willing to travel to Sherbrooke or Magog to try their Matelas Le Rêve, the more comfy version seems worth it, well priced, and they’re the top recommandation in Protégez-Vous.

Don’t hesitate if you’ve got more questions.

Cheers!

Hi there pmperron,
Wondering if you’re still happy with your purchase from Matelas Selection?

I ended up going with an all Talalay latex from Matelas Princesse. Not happy with it at all. Starting over from scratch, hoping to sell the latex and toppers I’ve spent so much on, and trying a hybrid. I just can’t get the right combo of latex with various layers, toppers, etc. Too soft or too hard, in pain all the time, and now past the 100 day mark. I don’t like the feel of latex at all.

So looking for local reputable companies where I can try hybrid mattresses. Not Matelas Selection (started there, not a good experience with the owner), or Matelas Princesse (great until after sale and not very helpful in working with me to try different layers).